Marcus Freeman, the Dick Corbett Head Football Coach at the University of Notre Dame, has been named a finalist for the prestigious 2024 George Munger College Coach of the Year Award, presented annually by the Maxwell Football Club. This marks Freeman's third finalist recognition for national coaching honors this season, underscoring his remarkable leadership during the Irish’s standout campaign.
The winner of the George Munger Award will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. Notre Dame has celebrated one previous recipient of the honor, with Tyrone Willingham taking home the award in 2002.
Now in his third season at the helm, Freeman has guided Notre Dame to a stellar 12-1 record in 2024, including an 11-game winning streak and a First-Round College Football Playoff victory over No. 9 Indiana. The Irish are currently ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press (AP) and Coaches Polls and hold the No. 7 seed in the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame is set to face No. 2 Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2025, as part of their pursuit of a national championship.
Freeman’s squad has been a force against ranked opponents, notching five victories over teams listed in the AP Poll at the time of competition: No. 20 Texas A&M, No. 15 Louisville, No. 24 Navy, No. 18 Army, and No. 9 Indiana. With 12 ranked wins during his tenure, Freeman has achieved more victories over ranked teams in his first three seasons than any head coach in program history.
Notre Dame's success this season is reflected in its dominance across numerous national statistical categories:
- 1st in team passing efficiency defense (96.94)
- 1st in turnovers gained (29)
- 1st in defensive touchdowns (6)
- 3rd in scoring defense (13.8 PPG)
- 3rd in turnover margin (+1.23)
- 4th in scoring offense (38.8 PPG)
- 4th in passing yards allowed (162.3 YPG)
- 4th in interceptions (18)
- 5th in fourth-down success rate (76%)
- 7th in third-down defense (30.8%)
- 7th in fourth-down defense (36.1%)
- 8th in total defense (295.3 YPG)
- 9th in fumbles recovered (11)
- 9th in red zone defense (72.7%)
- 10th in passes had intercepted (6)
- 11th in rushing offense (222.4 YPG)
Freeman's leadership, coupled with the outstanding performance of his players, has positioned the Irish among the nation's elite as they prepare for their next challenge in the College Football Playoff.